The International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) is a multidisciplinary, scientific platform for widening the debate on problems of Ethics applied to Geosciences.
The IAPG is affiliated to the IUGS - International Union of Geological Sciences, AGI - American Geosciences Institute, GSA - Geological Society of America, GSL - Geological Society of London, GIRAF - Geoscience Information in Africa Network, ICPHS - International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Conference on "Natural Hazards and Society", on the occasion of the publication of the book "Living with natural hazards" (Convivere con i rischi naturali) by Silvia Peppoloni (published by Il Mulino, Bologna, Italy).

Place:Conference Room of the Roman National Museum at the Terme di Diocleziano (Via Enrico de Nicola, 79; near the Central Railway Station). Free entrance.

Speakers: Carlo Doglioni(President of the Italian Geological Society).Teodoro Georgiadis(Senior Researcher at the CNR-Institute of Biometeorology). Gian Vito Graziano(President of the National Council of Geologists). Chairman: Franco Foresta Martin (journalist).

EGU - General Assembly, Vienna 29 April 2014 Room G6 (from 10:30)Convener: Silvia PeppoloniCo-Conveners: Susan W. Kieffer, Eduardo Marone, Yuriy Kostyuchenko, Joel Gill18 oral presentationsRoom G6 - Tuesday 29 April 201410:30-12:00 (Geoethics: an overview)13:30-15:00 (Geoethics and Natural Hazards)15:30-17:00 (Geoethics: risk communication and geoeducation)20 postersPoster Summaries & Discussions (oral presentation of posters): Session PSD22.13, Tuesday, 29 April 2014, 08:30-09:15 (Room R5)Display Time: Tuesday, 29 April 2014, 08:00-19:30Attendance Time: Tuesday, 29 April 2014, 17:30-19:00Description Geoethics deals with the ethical, social and cultural implications of Earth Sciences education, research and practice and the social role and responsibility of geoscientists in conducting their activities. It concerns theoretical and practical aspects of decisions regarding management and mitigation of geohazards, use of geo-resources, development of geoeducational strategies and the search for solutions to geo-environmental problems. Geoethics should become an essential point of reference for any action on land, water and atmosphere use for which all stake-holders and decision-makers are held accountable.The 2012 and 2013 sessions on Geoethics at the EGU General Assembly were a great success and demonstrated the urgent need for the scientific community to reflect on how to best serve society, improve the quality of human life and promote sustainable development on planet Earth.Among the critical ethical issues faced by geoscientists, natural hazards have a primary importance. The deaths, injuries, displacement and economic costs associated with them are increasing, in part due to rapid population increase, occupation of marginal/unsafe land and the misuse of land.Many natural disasters can be prevented and/or their impact reduced. Geoscientists must play a fundamental role in protecting society, by educating the youths, communicating their knowledge and scientific results to the public and policy makers. This includes suggesting models, methods and ideas to inform and influence decision making for risk reduction programs, designing and implementing risk reduction strategies, organizing geoeducation activities and promoting environmentally sustainable and/or socially compatible use of natural resources.Conveners invite authors to submit abstracts with their views, reflections, suggestions and experiences in an ethical perspective that could be helpful in understanding problems and finding solutions for a successful interaction between scientific community, media, institutions and local populations, with the overall aim of improving the effectiveness of measures to protect people and their assets from natural hazards.The session is organized by the IAPG - International Association for Promoting Geoethics (http://www.iapg.geoethics.org/).For further information, please send an email to: iapgeoethics@aol.com

Sunday, March 9, 2014

IAPG for DESAME (Day of Earth Sciences in Africa and Middle East)

IAPG-DR Congo organizes an event in Bukavu (Democratic Republic of Congo), on March 23, 2014:9:30-10:00: opening ceremony.10:15-11:30: - short capacity building courses to teachers of some high schools of Bukavu.- activities with pupils of secondary schools.Conference13:00-13:30: opening of the conference (Speech and explanation of the day program).13:45-14:15: natural hazard management.14:30-15:00: mining activities: industrial and artisanal mining.15:10-15:30: matters of geoeducation in South Kivu.15:40-16:30: short team works and conclusion of the day.16:40-17:30: cocktail.Place: "Centre Bandari"

For further information, please send an email to the responsible of the IAPG-DR Congo, Jean-Robert Nshokano Mweze: nshokano (at) gmail.com

Friday, March 7, 2014

Letter from the IUGS President to the IAPG-International Association for Promoting Geoethics

Following the IUGS Executive Committe meeting hold in Goa (India) on February 2014, Prof. Roland Oberhansli (IUGS President) has written to Prof. Stefano Tinti (IAPG President) and Prof. Silvia Peppoloni (IAPG Secretary General), that IUGS welcomes the work of the IAPG and wishes further successes in a wise promotion of Geoethics, a "topic so crucial for all of us".This is a very important recognition to our efforts in promoting the discussion among geoscientists on the ethical, social and cultural implications of the research and practice in geosciences.Follow, support and help us.(http://www.iapg.geoethics.org)

It is very important to follow a basic set of moral values in any profession to act in the perspective of a social advancement. This means that geosciences need of ethical principles and practices.Geoscientists have a significant role to play, for example in the field of geohazards, to help society in the defense against natural phenomena such as landslides, avalanches, floods, volcanoes, earthquakes, etc.Geoscientists cannot only evaluate hazards, they can also estimate the potential consequences if phenomena occur in a given place at a given time, helping decision-makers in the risks management and to educate people to science. However, sometimes the lack of trustworthy of geoscientists by society and government is lost, due to some unethical practices for a short-term gain, or due to incorrect understanding of geological phenomena.Some of the hazards that cannot be predicted by geoscientists with the existing capabilities have been "forecast" by some pseudo-scientists, to raise the social/media attention, thereby bringing the reputation of the profession into discredit. Most often, popular myths take over scientific facts among the public, and this can lead to false rumors about natural hazards. In the time, it leads to a reduced capacity of society to prevent and mitigate natural hazards.In view of this, geoscientists need to improve their skills and expertise, and work to became reliable and qualified professionals serving the public and recognized by society.This session calls for papers that focus on geoethical problems in facing natural phenomena in the African continent and on proposals to improve actions to mitigate and manage natural risks, including strategies and projects on geoeducation.The session is organized by the African sections of the IAPG-International Association for Promoting Geoethics.DeadlineAll abstracts must be received not later than 15th March 2014 to be eligible for review. Abstracts received after this deadline will not be accepted. The abstracts are expected to have science-based content; all abstracts will be reviewed by the Scientific Committee to assess their scientific merit and applicability to the events and notified by 15th April 2014 to present papers at the congress.More infowww.yescongress.org/2014